Mayfield Historic Character Assessment Report April 2008 Sussex Extensive Urban Survey (EUS) Roland B Harris Mayfield Historic Character Assessment Report April 2008 Roland B Harris Sussex Extensive Urban Survey (EUS) in association with Wealden District Council Sussex EUS – Mayfield The Sussex Extensive Urban Survey (Sussex EUS) is a study of 41 towns undertaken between 2004 and 2009 by an independent consultant (Dr Roland B Harris, BA DPhil FSA MIFA), supported from January 2008 by a Research Assistant (Elizabeth Ruffell BSc MSc), for East Sussex County Council (ESCC), West Sussex County Council (WSCC), and Brighton and Hove City Council; and was funded by English Heritage. Guidance and web-sites derived from the historic town studies will be, or have been, developed by the local authorities. All photographs and illustrations are by the author. First edition: April 2008. Copyright © East Sussex County Council, West Sussex County Council, and Brighton and Hove City Council 2008 Contact: For West Sussex towns: 01243 642119 (West Sussex County Council) For East Sussex towns and Brighton & Hove: 01273 481608 (East Sussex County Council) The Ordnance Survey map data included within this report is provided by West Sussex County Council under licence from the Ordnance Survey. Licence 100018485. The geological map data included within this report is reproduced from the British Geological Map data at the original scale of 1:50,000. Licence 2003/009 British Geological Survey. NERC. All rights reserved. The views in this technical report are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of English Heritage, East Sussex County Council, West Sussex County Council, Brighton & Hove City Council, or the authorities participating in the Character of West Sussex Partnership Programme. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author wishes to acknowledge the advice, assistance, and support of Bob Connell, John Mills, Mark Taylor, Peter Ross, Keith Watson and Mike Hicks (West Sussex County Council); Casper Johnson and Greg Chuter (East Sussex County Council); Dr Mark Gardiner (Department of Archaeology and Palaeoecology, The Queen‟s University of Belfast); Dr Edward Impey (English Heritage); Christopher Whittick; David Martin; Dr Peter Rumley; Diane Harris; and staff at the county records offices, English Heritage, and the library of the Sussex Archaeological Society. Cover photo: London House, High Street, Mayfield. 4 Sussex EUS – Mayfield Contents List of maps, tables and other illustrations 6 1 INTRODUCTION 8 2 SETTING 11 3 HISTORY 13 4 ARCHAEOLOGY 20 5 STATEMENT OF HISTORIC URBAN CHARACTER 28 6 HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH FRAMEWORK 35 7 NOTES 36 5 Sussex EUS – Mayfield List of maps, tables and other illustrations Fig. 1. Location of Mayfield within Sussex. Fig. 2. View southwards over the High Weald from the High Street. Fig. 3. St Dunstan‟s church. Fig. 4. Mayfield Palace from the churchyard. Fig. 5. Memorial to Thomas Aynscombe, d.1620 (St Dunstan‟s church). Fig. 6. The Rose & Crown, Coggins Mill Lane. Fig. 7. Mayfield Palace: gatehouse on the High Street restored and expanded in the 1860s. Fig. 8. Baptist chapel, South Street as rebuilt in 1873. Fig. 9. Mayfield Church of England Primary School, largely as rebuilt in 1913. Fig. 10. The church of St Dunstan: view of nave looking east, with font of 1666 in the foreground. Fig. 11. Mayfield Palace: triple service doorways to former hall. Fig. 12. Mayfield Palace: hall (now used as a chapel), looking east towards the dais. Fig. 13. Yeomans, Fletching Street: a Wealden house. Fig. 14. The rear of houses on the north side of the High Street and in front of the churchyard. Fig. 15. Walnut Tree House, High Street: early to mid-16th century. Fig. 16. Middle House, High Street: late 16th-century H-plan house, converted to a pub in 1926. Fig. 17. Oak Cottage, High Street. Fig. 18. Morel House, Station Road. Fig. 19. The Stone House, High Street. Fig. 20. Beaver House, Station Road (c.1900). Fig. 21. Hamilton House, High Street: early to mid-20th-century shopfront. Fig. 22. Barclays bank, High Street (1905). Fig. 23. Mayfield tithe map, 1844. Table 1. Sussex EUS Historic Character Types Table 2. Sussex EUS chronology Table 3. Summary of assessment of Historic Urban Character Areas (HUCAs) for Mayfield Map 1. Extent of Mayfield EUS study area Map 2. Solid and drift geology with 10m contours Map 3. Ordnance Survey 1st Series 25” (1875) Map 4. Historic buildings Map 5. Period 6 (1150-1349) Map 6. Period 7 (1350-1499) Map 7. Period 8 (1500-1599) Map 8. Period 9 (1600-1699) Map 9. Period 10 (1700-1799) Map 10. Historic Character Types (2007) 6 Sussex EUS – Mayfield Map 11. Historic Character Type areas showing principal period from which present character is derived Map 12. Historic Urban Character Areas (HUCAs) Map 13. Historic Environment Value (HEV) 7 Sussex EUS – Mayfield • archaeological and historic environment 1 INTRODUCTION research and management. • informing strategic and local policy. 1.1 Background to the project • underpinning urban historic land and buildings This report is an archaeological, historical, and management and interpretation. historic urban character assessment of Mayfield. • encouraging the integration of urban historic It is part of the Sussex Extensive Urban Survey characterization into the wider process of (henceforth Sussex EUS) that examines 41 1 protecting and enhancing urban character. towns across the ancient county. The Sussex EUS forms part of a national 1.2.2 Objectives programme of such surveys initiated by English Heritage in 1992. The national programme is Key objectives of the project include the: already well underway, with roughly half the • synthesis of previous archaeological and English counties having been completed or historical work. currently undergoing study. • creation of a Geographic Information System As the surveys have progressed, the approach (GIS) that maps and allows the analysis of has developed. In line with recent surveys, the archaeological events, monuments and urban Sussex EUS includes more modern towns, the th plan components using information obtained main significance of which stems from the 19 from a variety of sources. and 20th centuries. Another recent innovation is the introduction of the characterization concept, • analysis of the origins and development of comparable with the map-based techniques each town by establishing and examining its adopted by historic landscape characterization. principal plan components and existing standing This approach was developed in Lancashire structures. (2000-4), and is further refined in Sussex. • identification of county-wide Historic Character The Sussex EUS has been funded by English Types and attribution of the types to different Heritage, and supported in kind by the areas within each town. commissioning authorities: East Sussex County • preparation of a Statement of Historic Urban Council, West Sussex County Council, and Character for each town, to include assessment Brighton and Hove City Council. A wide range of of archaeological potential and Historic stakeholders (including district and borough Environment Value. councils, and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty) has supported the project. • identification of gaps in the understanding of the past occupation and historical development In West Sussex the Sussex EUS forms part of of character of each town through the the Character of West Sussex Partnership development of a Research Framework. Programme,2 aiming to provide guidance and advice on the protection and enhancement of all • advice to local authorities on the development aspects of character in the county. Other historic of guidance derived from the town studies. environment projects come under this umbrella: • Historic Landscape Characterisation (HLC) of 1.3 Outputs Sussex The principal outputs of the project comprise: • Intensive Urban Survey of Chichester and • Historic character assessment reports. Fishbourne Documents (of which this is one) that, separately • Local Distinctiveness Study of West Sussex. for each town, summarize the setting and pre- urban activity; synthesize current archaeological and historical research; describe the 1.2 Aims and objectives development from origins to the present day; assess the surviving historic character and 1.2.1 Aims historic environment value; and set out a The aim of the Sussex EUS is to deliver a framework for future research on the historic unique and flexible tool to aid the understanding, environment of the towns. exploration and management of the historic • Geographical Information System (GIS) for the qualities of 41 of the most significant towns in historic environment of each town. The GIS Sussex with a view to: underpins the analysis and mapping of the town 8 Sussex EUS – Mayfield reports, and is available to local authorities as a 1.4.4 Statement of Historic Urban unique tool to support their decision making. The Character EUS-generated GIS data includes historic buildings and archaeological data, and mapping Whereas sections on history and archaeology of areas for which Historic Character Type, (above) explore the development of Mayfield historic land use, and Historic Urban Character over time, this part of the report considers and Areas have been defined. The GIS data will be defines the physical evidence of the past in maintained and updated by the West Sussex today‟s townscape. It does this by means of a County Council Sites & Monuments Record character-based approach, operating at three (SMR) and the East Sussex County Council different scales: areas of common Historic Historic Environment Record (HER). Character Type; larger and topographically familiar Historic Urban Character Areas; and the • Informing historic environment management whole town. Assessment is made of the Historic guidance specific to each local planning Environment Value of each of the Historic Urban authority, for the 41 EUS towns and Winchelsea, Character Areas, taking account of the produced under the new Local Development archaeological potential. Frameworks, and subject to formal consultation procedures. 1.5 Principal sources • Background papers for the Sussex EUS Given the obviously medieval origins of the town project.